This First Birthday Smash Cake with Yogurt Frosting is an easy and super special first birthday cake. It’s moist, flavorful, and so yummy—and has the creamiest yogurt frosting. Find everything you need to make this vanilla oat smash cake, plus allergy-friendly and make-ahead options.
I first learned to make this healthy first birthday cake from a friend when she made it for her daughter Ruby, and I’ve now made this cake about a dozen times in various forms over the years. I love both how easy it is to make—no special skills required!—and how good the final result tastes.
The tender crumb of the smash cake is paired with a yogurt-based frosting for results that are as delicious as they are fun for the kids to smash.
This is a perfect first birthday cake option since it’s sweetened with maple syrup and has plenty of flavor and healthy fats. It can also be made ahead of time too, which is helpful when planning first birthday party ideas for a little one.
(You may also like Blueberry Smash Cake, Sweet Potato Baby Cake, and my full list of Kids Birthday Cake Recipes.)
Table of Contents
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1st Birthday Smash Cake Recipe
This healthy first birthday cake is made with whole grains and natural sweeteners and is a fun way to celebrate the big day! The cake tastes like maple and vanilla, with a slightly tangy yogurt frosting.
We like to top it with fresh fruit for a simple and bright finish.
What’s a smash cake?
A smash cake is a first birthday cake meant for a baby turning 1. The idea is that they will eat, smash, and generally make a mess of it as they explore this new food by using their hands and sometimes their bodies! (It’s usually placed in front of baby on a highchair or on the floor on a sheet or drop cloth.) It’s a fun tradition to mark a big milestone, and this version of a smash cake is an easy one to make at home.
TIP: You can place the cake onto the baby highchair, or onto the floor with baby set on top of a sheet to contain the mess a bit.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you need to make this first birthday smash cake recipe to share with baby so you know what to have on hand.
- Oat flour: You can use store-bought oat flour or make your own by grinding rolled oats into a fine flour in the blender. I love using this ingredient because it creates a wonderful texture and adds nice flavor to the cake.
- Eggs: I bake and cook with large size eggs, so plan to use them here. They help bind the batter together and give the cake structure.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter in baking so it’s easy to control the level of salt in the recipe.
- Maple syrup: This natural sweetener adds flavor, sweetness, and moisture.
- Vanilla extract: You can use regular vanilla extract or an alcohol-free option.
Ingredient Substitutions
Gluten-Free First Birthday Cake: If you need to make this gluten-free, you can use certified gluten-free oats or gluten-free oat flour.
Dairy-Free Smash Cake: You can make this recipe without dairy by using coconut oil and a dairy-free yogurt. See the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe card for the details.
Egg-Free Smash Cake: To make this without eggs, there are a few adjustments you’ll want to make to the batter, including adding ripe banana and a small amount of regular flour to help bind the batter together. The banana flavor is subtle and the cake is moist and sweet. See the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe for the details.
(This Blueberry Smash Cake is also egg-free.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
The process for making this first birthday cake is simple. Here’s a preview of the process so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full recipe and all the variations.
Step 1. Lightly beat the eggs. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir.
Step 2. Gently stir together the dry ingredients and add to the wet.
Step 3. Divide the batter between greased cake pans. Bake until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
Step 4. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack while still in the pan. The cakes must cool completely to hold their fluffy structure.
TIP: You can make this recipe in 5-inch pans, 6-inch cake pans, 8-inch cake pans, or cupcakes.
How to Make Yogurt Frosting
The frosting for this smash cake is made with whole milk plain Greek yogurt, a little maple syrup, and a touch of vanilla extract. It’s slightly tangy from the yogurt and super simple to make. (And there’s no need for cups and cups of powdered sugar to make it thick and spreadable!)
Step 5. Strain the yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or paper towels over a bowl. This makes it thicker, as it helps to remove some of the liquid in the yogurt.
Step 6. Stir yogurt together with maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl. You can use a spoon or a hand-held mixer if you prefer.
Step 7. Add some frosting on top of the first layer. Spread. Add another cake and more frosting.
Step 8. Add the third cake, if using an additional cake layer. Top with the rest of the frosting. Add berries if you’d like.
TIP: You can leave it plain, top the layers with berries, add sprinkles, or add a candle for baby’s first birthday.
Frequently Asked Questions
It does contain natural sugars from maple syrup. Your little one’s first birthday is a big celebration, so it’s only fitting that they have a really special cake to mark the day! (Though this is so good you might hope they don’t smash it so you can have a piece for yourself. I usually use just two layers of the cake for the smash cake and save the third one so the rest of us can have a slice!)
TIP: If you want to use less maple syrup, a few people have replaced half of it with very smooth mashed bananas.
This cake, due to the oat flour, is a little denser than a traditional yellow cake. It will smash just fine, though, and has a wonderful flavor from the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
A smash cake is a cake meant to be placed in front of a baby on their first birthday and smashed, eaten, or explored in any way the child chooses. A cake is usually just sliced and enjoyed.
How to Store
This is a great first birthday cake to make in advance, especially if you’ll be busy celebrating your new toddler on their big day. Simply bake the cakes and make the frosting the day before. Store the cakes, once fully cooled after baking, in airtight containers (in one layer) at room temperature.
Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge.
TIP: I recommend frosting the first birthday cake just before serving, but you can frost up to an hour ahead and leave it at room temperature.
Make Ahead Tips
To Make the Cakes Ahead: You can bake the cakes up to a day ahead. Let cool fully on wire racks and store at room temperature in an airtight container. Frost just before serving.
To Make the Frosting Ahead: Prepare the frosting as directed and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours
Best Tips for Success
- Let the first birthday cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning them out onto the rack for the best texture.
- You can try making this 1st birthday cake with whole wheat flour if you prefer—though check for doneness closer to 18-22 minutes and stir very gently to avoid overworking the batter.
- To Use Three 4-Inch Pans: Divide the healthy smash cake recipe in half. The baking time will be 16-18 minutes and the layers will be slightly thinner than shown here.
- To Use Three 6-Inch Pans: The baking time will be 20-22 minutes, and the layers will be slightly thinner than shown here.
- To Use Two 8-Inch Pans: Bake in two 8-inch round cake pans, using about 2 cups of batter in each pan and baking for 18-20 minutes. The layers will be thinner than shown here.
- To Make as Cupcakes: Use about 3 tablespoons of the batter in each paper cupcake liner to make about 16 cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (I did 20 minutes). The rest of the recipe is the same.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this first birthday cake, so please rate and comment below to share!
First Birthday Smash Cake (with Yogurt Frosting)
Ingredients
Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 1½ cups whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Oat Cake
- 3 cups oat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 4 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh berries to garnish
Instructions
To make the Frosting:
- Place 1½ cups whole milk yogurt in a sieve or fine-mesh strainer lined with a paper towel with a bowl underneath. Let sit for 30 minutes or up to overnight, covered in the fridge. (This helps ensure that the frosting is nice and thick.)
- Transfer the yogurt to a bowl and stir in 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Trace one 5-inch cake pans onto parchment paper and cut out three times to make the rounds. Trim slightly to fit inside the bottom of each pan.
- Grease three 5-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and place a round of parchment inside of each. Grease again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between prepared cake pans, using about 1⅓ cups batter in each pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 22-26 minutes. Remove from oven and place pans onto a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully invert to cool fully. Discard parchment paper rounds.
- To assemble, place one cake on your serving plate. Top with about ⅓-½ cup of frosting, spreading it in an even layer just past the edges. Add the second, repeat with frosting, and then repeat with the third cake . Use an offset spatula or knife to scrape off the frosting overhang for a "naked" cake look, or use additional frosting to coat the entire cake.
- Top with berries and serve…as in, let the birthday kiddo dig in!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published May 2017.
For the yogurt frost – Can I replace the ripped bananas to strawberries instead? My little one doesn’t like ripped and smashed up bananas.
Sure
This was TASTY! And the instructions were thorough. Cake was a little denser than preferred which made it a little hard for him to dig in but I think that’s because I baked it too long. Not confident on what happened there. I did the half maple half banana option and the sweetness was perfect. Highly recommend!
I was so excited to make this for my little girl’s first birthday and was not disappointed! It was easy to make and yet so delicious! Especially loved the frosting, which I made the day before.
I made a two-layer cake (6 inch pan – and two cupcakes with the excess batter)
21 minutes for the cupcakes.
Let the rest go for 3 more min for 24 min total.
Thanks for helping me give my daughter a wonderful first birthday!
I’m so glad to hear it and I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating!
Would this recipe work for 4″ round pans? Not sure if I need to alter ingredients or baking times in any way?
Here you go: To Bake in Three 4-Inch Pans: Cut the recipe in half. The baking time will be 16-18 minutes and the layers will be slightly thinner than shown here.
Thanks so much for the recipe! Turned out great and little guy thoroughly smashed it to bits 🙂 I made one 6” and 12 cupcakes! I did have to bake the 6” a little longer than the recipe stated.
I was a little hesitant with the 1 cup of maple syrup but they only turn one once right?? I wanted to try to sub a banana in there but mine weren’t ripe yet. Maybe next time 🙂
Thank you again!
I’m so glad to hear it! That amount of maple syrup makes a lot of cake—I’m glad he enjoyed smashing it and happiest birthday!
Nice info!” I read this post your post so nice and very informative post thanks for sharing this post
Can you dye the icing and pipe it like you would a buttercream?
Yes, you should be able to if you strain it to make sure it’s thick. It may not be quite as firm as buttercream, but once strained it’s pretty firm
Do you have to use oat flour or can you use all purpose flour? Is the amount the same or different?
I haven’t made this with all all-purpose flour but it’s possible it would work similarly. The baking time may be a little different, so you’d need to check it starting a little sooner to make sure it doesn’t overbake.
My daughter is allergic to eggs and flour. To make egg free, it says to use 1 cup whole purpose flour – would it still work if I used 3 cups of oat flour?
I worry it would be a little crumbly. If there’s a gf cup for cup flour mix you could use for at least 1 cup, I think that would likely be the best option
Could I prep this beforehand and freeze it?
Sure, just let the cakes cool fully before wrapping well and freezing.
Hi I followed the recepie but the cake is wet inside. I baked it for more and more time but it’s still wet. It is supposed to be dry, right?
Yes. That’s surprising given the way that oat flour bakes, but I hope it was okay in the end.
This cake was so delicious, easy to make and my son definitely approved ! I wanted to add a tip that I think everyone who could get their hands on it would appreciate! For the frosting – google your nearest middle eastern store and pick up Labneh (it is basically strained yogurt or yogurt cream cheese) it takes the work out of straining the yogurt and is the perfect creamy thick consistency and all u mix in is the maple syrup! I made the mistake of buying regular whole milk yogurt and not Greek and even after straining it wasn’t as thick as i hoped and not sure why I never thought of Labneh as it’s common is my husbands Arab roots but hopefully this helps out someone else lol I’ll definitely be making it again with it but thought id share!
My daughter is allergic to oats. Could this be made with all purpose flour?
I haven’t tried it that way and I am not sure if it would turn out a lot drier with flour or not. You could look at my Sweet Potato Cake which would be an option with flour.https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/sweet-potato-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
I am just making this cake now. I don’t have maple syrup. Can I use golden syrup? Or white sugar or brown sugar. If yes how much. Thank you.
I haven’t made it any other way so I can’t say for sure, but of those options I think I’d choose the syrup.
Ok here goes.
I tried this as a test before my 1 year old’s birthday party. It tastes delicious, but is really crumbly. I am afraid it won’t make for a great smash cake if it crumbles and he can’t grab it. Is there any advice for what I need to adjust to make it less crumbly?
Hmmm, you could bake it for a few minutes less and chill it before serving it? It should be tender, but hold together well. I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating him!
Are you supposed to use greek yogurt or regular yogurt for the frosting? If using Greek do you still strain it?
I recommend using Greek yogurt and straining it for the thickest final frosting.